John De Goes’ blog

In today’s fast-paced business world, effective collaboration between product managers and stakeholders is crucial to organizational success. However, certain dynamics can arise that hinder collaboration and lead to toxicity within the team. One such dynamic is Product Managers challenging every thought or idea stakeholders propose. This toxic dynamic not only damages relationships between individuals but also harms teams and companies as a whole. In this article, we will explore the impact of this dynamic and present an alternative approach that can foster more harmonious and productive interactions.

The Detrimental Effects of Challenging Every Stakeholder’s Request

The constant challenge of stakeholder requests by Product Managers can create an environment of mistrust and tension, generating unnecessary friction between team members. Stakeholders, who are often experts in their fields, may feel undervalued and dismissed when their ideas are challenged without justification. This hinders open communication and undermines the collaborative spirit essential for team success.

Moreover, this dynamic can undermine the team’s effectiveness. When Product Managers constantly challenge stakeholder requests, it sends a message that their ideas are not valued or respected, leading to decreased motivation and engagement. This can result in a lack of trust and confidence among team members, ultimately hindering their ability to work together effectively.

Furthermore, when product managers choose to follow the path of challenging every stakeholder contribution and forcing their own ideas and processes instead, they often deviate from achieving strategic goals, creating dissatisfaction among stakeholders, and frustration on the development team, who deliver the requirements they get, but still miss the company goals, hurting their performance.

Returning to the Product Manager’s Role as an Advocate for Stakeholder Interests

In an ideal scenario, Product Managers should represent the interests and perspectives of stakeholders. By advocating for stakeholders, Product Managers can facilitate dialogue and collaboration. This will ensure stakeholders’ voices are heard and considered. This promotes ownership and empowers stakeholders to contribute their most valuable ideas and insights. This is similar to how a conductor of an orchestra is expected to guide the musicians to achieve the finest possible result. The conductor needs to listen to all the instruments and players and make sure that the symphony sounds harmonious. Similarly, the Product Manager needs to listen to all stakeholders and ensure that the symphony of ideas is executed successfully.

Embracing the Agile Approach to Validation

In a previous article, I highlighted the benefits of creating small experiments to achieve validation as the team is building. From this approach, any stakeholder request can be viewed as a small experiment that validates or rejects the hypothesis underlying the request. By embracing this mindset, Product Managers can avoid dismissing stakeholder ideas out of hand. Instead, they can focus on gathering data and evidence to assess their suggestions’ validity. This approach not only enables Product Managers to assess the validity of stakeholder requests, but it allows them to gain valuable insights into the needs of their customers and stakeholders through experimentation.

Refusing a Hypothesis Without Strong Validation: A Hurtful Practice

Refusing a hypothesis without strong validation can be even more hurtful than taking an assumption-driven approach before validation. When Product Managers dismiss stakeholder requests without a good reason, it can create a negative feedback loop. This is where stakeholders become hesitant to propose novel ideas for fear of being dismissed or ignored. This stifles innovation and creativity and undermines stakeholders’ trust in the Product Management team. This is similar to a gardener who refuses to water their plants without soil testing to determine the optimal nutrients for their growth. Without proper knowledge of the soil’s composition, the gardener risks damaging the plants instead of nurturing them. Similarly, Product Managers should take care to understand the stakeholders’ needs before dismissing or disregarding their ideas.

Conclusion

Product Managers and their stakeholders should collaborate and respect each other. Challenging every stakeholder request without justification can create a toxic dynamic that hinders communication and undermines team productivity. By returning to the role of the Product Manager as an advocate for stakeholder interests, and embracing the agile approach to validation, companies can foster a harmonious and productive work environment. By valuing stakeholder input and gathering data to validate their suggestions, Product Managers can create a culture of innovation. This will encourage stakeholders to contribute their most valuable ideas. Only through open dialogue and validation can teams deliver successful products and achieve sustainable growth.